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What Do Sensors Mean for News, Society & Science?

Every day, sensors around the world record more data. Increasingly, citizens are becoming sensors, carrying mobile devices that enable them to collect and share observations from their environments. From governments to universities to utility companies to the media, organizations are tapping into the wealth of data generated by mobile phones and sensor networks. They're using that data to understand and sometimes solve scientific and civic problems, creating beneficial feedback loops between policy and outcomes.
This emerging ‘Internet of Things’ holds profound implications for the future of news, civic engagement, science, and business. Media will have new sources for reporting. Civic activists will have new means to hold government accountable in networked environments. Governments will find new ways to engage with constituents, fill in existing data gaps, and understand whether their policies are working. Startups will emerge to produce new devices and information services.